Excellence
by Matters of No Consequence
Summary: “What do you think is better: perfection or excellence?” Sometimes, striving for the impossible leaves you with less than what you started with. "If only perfection was much easier to achieve."
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I put together all those wonderful comments and suggestions you guys gave me and came up with this. It's in Star's POV so, yeah…on with the disclaimer…**

**Disclaimer: ****Do I re****ally have to say it? Okay fine! I do NOT own Teen Titans (ouch! It hurts a lot to say that!)…only the plot and nothing else…not even this computer I'm typing on. It's my dad's. **

**Ooh! Before I forget. This story is dedicated to all those wonderful writers out there who reviewed my first story. Thanks guys! It means a lot!**

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I was never good enough for him.

Never.

_Flashback:_

"_Come on, Star! I know you can do better than that."_

"_Ahhh! Please, Robin! Stop!" Starfire yelled as tears fell own her face while her supposed to be "best friend" continued turning the knob clockwise, inducing more pain to her body._

_She eventually couldn't handle it any longer. Using her free hand, Starfire pushed the panic button, signaling defeat. Instantaneously, a couple of four-inch-long, five-millimeter-thick needles immediately ripped off her arms. Several probes designed for pure, merciless torture also stopped. The foreign princess breathed heavily with her hands and knees to the ground. Robin only shook his head and gave her a disappointed look before he exited the poorly lit room._

_End flashback_

Combat practice used to be fun. We all pushed ourselves and each other to our limits while having a good time. But things are different now. Robin has developed a new way to train us—and it is not fun at all. According to him, we are to endure pain in order to do well in battle. So he made this…_thing. _Oh, how I dread it. Unfortunately, he made me face it twice a week. He made us all face it.

I do not know what is wrong. We have been successful in fighting the crime, the city as peaceful as ever. Still, he continued to urge us of how weak we performed; how bad I aimed; how Raven could not fully control her powers any longer (who could with all that pressure?); how Beastboy not being serious enough; and how Cyborg often got distracted. I feel like I do not know him anymore. He was not the Boy Wonder I met who would patiently explain to me the ways of this world. Robin was no longer the fearless leader we all learned to love and respect. He has changed. And I am afraid that it is not for the better.

Oftentimes, I was left to believe that he was merely having one of his "Slade attacks" where he would lock himself in his room for days. Somehow, I usually persuaded him to come out. A sharp "No." was usually the answer followed by my constant pleading until he finally consents. But now, he simply didn't answer at all. He just sat there, continued whatever h was doing is if he didn't see me. He acted like I was never even there, like I was invisible. Then that thought would haunt me again, '_I was never good enough for him.'_

I remember when Robin was still…Robin. We had a pleasant stroll around the park while the others played _stank ball _and Raven read a book. He asked me a question which I thought didn't make any sense.

_Flashback_

"_What do you think is better: perfection or excellence?" asked the Titan leader, abruptly changing their healthily developing their conversation._

"_Excuse me?" Starfire was dumfounded by his sudden burst of inquisition. It was usually her who asked such question, but by the serious look on Robin's face she immediately knew it wasn't a trick question._

"_You know. Which one would you prefer? He shrugged._

"_Oh. Well, I believe excellence is going beyond and above; being superior in worth or value; the state of being more than the best that you already are," Starfire paused, obviously deep in thought, then continued, "Perfection, on the other hand, is having all the qualities requisite to its nature or kind; being complete and nothing more."_

"_Yeah, so?" She hasn't answered his question yet._

"_Hmm…I assume perfection would be of higher quality. It is, after all, perfect." She added with a giggle. Then their conversation jumped off to their previous topic as if nothing had happened."_

_End flashback_

Had I known that my opinion on the subject would change the way all of us lived, I would have chose my answer more wisely. I now know why Robin acts as he does; why he treats us such. He wants us to be perfect. If only perfection was much easier to achieve.

**A/N: I know, guys. It's short. My English teacher always has a problem with me concerning length. The ending is also kinda rushed too. Please bear with me. I wanted to post this before school starts next week (classes here starts on June and ends in March…weird, I know). I just scribbled it on my notebook and typed off…**

**Review please!  
**

**GOD bless.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

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He was doing it again.

It was Tuesday and he was doing it again.

I can feel Starfire's horror from all around the tower. It was a mixture of pain, fear, concern and... hatred? Tuesdays and Thursdays were the girls' schedule for '_combat practice_'. I finished mine two hours ago and already healed any visible injuries I acquired. Starfire, on the other hand, was just having her weekly dose of merciless torture.

I really don't see the point of Robin's new-found technique. He said it was the best tool to increase the team's potency and ability in battle. Doesn't he know that he's just pushing us away? Can he not see that? Out whole team is falling apart because of him. The last time we all ate dinner together was over a month ago. Beastboy hasn't cracked a joke in two weeks-that must be a record. I can't even remember the last time we all went out for pizza. There must be a deeper reason as to why Robin is doing this; there has to be one—and I'm going to find what, or who, it is.

This has to stop. This all has to stop. I stood up from my bed and grabbed my cloak, which I draped around my neck. The cold metal door swished open as I passed through it and down the corridor. As I walk down the corner, headed toward Cyborg's room, I hear another one of Starfire's ear-splitting scream reverberate throughout the tower. Starfire must me entering phase 9 now. The thought of my best friend subjected under that much pain sent shivers down my spine. I instinctively pulled my cloak tighter around my body and quickened my pace.

I found the two boys sitting in the middle of Cyborg's room, whispering about getting soundproof rooms. It wasn't really the position you would expect to find two male superheroes in. Both were sitting on the floor with earplugs on their ears. Sorrow made itself evident on both of their eyes.

"Raven..." Beastboy broke the endless silence the engulfed the room.

"This has to end," I stepped forward to emphasize my point, "We have to do something."

The two nodded and motioned for me to join their little cluster on the floor. I sat down and we worked out the biggest battle plan in Titans history.

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**A/N: **Please restrain the mob. I know its short, guys. And I know how boring it is... That's like the shortest thing I've ever written. Please bear with me. We all have real lives to deal with. I'll be sure to post a longer chapter next next weekend. I promise that! Author's honor.

Anyways, please review. I've tried my skills on Starfire's(big success) and Robin's(not so successful) POV, and now its in Raven's. Tell me what you think. Oh, and ideas are more than welcome. I have no idea what to do next to this story. Please? I have...uhh... Herbal tea!


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